Photograph holder



Oct. 22, 1946.

F. J. VARGISH PHO'I OGRAPH HOLDER Filed Dec. 8, 1944 INVENTO-R FRAN K I VARGISH t/ 6 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 22, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,409,814 PHOTOGRAPH HOLDER Frank J. Vargish, New York, N. Y.

Application December 8, 1944, Serial No. 567,243

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in photograph holders and has reference particularly to a device of this character, which is preferably of transparent material and which is capable of displaying pictures, photographs and other display material in upright or horizontal position, or if desired the holder may be used in a hanging position.

The invention has for its object to provide a holder or frame for picture display purposes, which is substantially easel-shaped and which is provided with a display front and back panel of two layers of transparent material yieldably joined at one end and includes resilient means to hold the layers together and in gripping contact with the display material interposed between the layers and visible through either one or both thereof.

I accomplish the object of my invention by means of the arrangements hereinafter described, set forth in the appended claims and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a holder according to the invention, with display material in place;

Fi ure 2 is a rear elevational view of the holder according to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the holder as it appears in standing or upright position and Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified holder.

Referring to the drawing and first to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, It denotes the holder, which is made preferably of one piece of transparent material, and which comprises a lateral foot portion ii curved at its inner end to continue upwardly at substantially right angles to the foot portion I I to form a back panel l2, the upper end of the latter being turned about upon itself to form a resilient semicylindrical hinge connection [3 and a downwardly directed front panel M. The connection i3 is sufficiently springy to cause the two panels 12 and Hi to be normally urged toward one another. The front panel I4 is slightly longer than the back panel l2, thereby causing the easel to incline towards the back at its upper end where the holder is used upright as illustrated in the drawing. adaptable and attractive the foot rest H is ta-- pered 01f slightly towards its free rear edge, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, so that it may be displayed in an easel-like manner when placed on its side.

In order to make the holder more In use, the front and back panels l4 and I2 are spread apart slightly by springing the semicylindrical connection l3 to allow the photograph or other display material E5 to be interposed therebetween. The panel are then allowed to spring back to their initial position to firmly grip and hold the material l5 in display position, as illustrated in Figure 4.

In Figure 5, the holder Illa comprises a back panel lZa, a semi-cylindrical hinge connection l3a and a front panel Ma. The foot portion is is in this case integral with the front panel Ma and connected to the latter by means of a curved springy portion IT. The foot portion It extends rearwardly below the free edge of the rear panel 12a and is urged with its upper surface against said edge by the springy portion H. A transverse groove It provided in the upper surface of the foot I 6 serves to receive the free edge of the back panel Hit and to lock the latter in the position shown in Fig. 5 in which any display material inserted between the two panels I to and I la is securely clamped and held in position.

In use, the foot I6 is bent slightly downward to permit spreading apart of the front and back panels 12a, Ma and insertion of the display material. Thereafter, the back panel is pressed near its lower edge towards the front panel l4a until the free edge of the back panel I 2a snaps into the groove [8 thus locking the back panel 12a and, consequently, any display material arranged between the two panels in place.

It will be understood that if desirable, each holder l0, Illa may be placed upon one of its sides to display a picture having a greater width than height or each foot piece I I, It may be hung from a support while the body or adjacent back and front layers will hang downwardly and the picture will be viewed through the front as in any other arrangements of the holder.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same may be used, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture, comprising a holder for display material made from a single length of transparent sheet material folded to form a front panel, a back panel, a hinge connection for said two panels permitting spreading apart thereof about said connection to admit a sheet of display material, a, foot portion integral with said front panel and extendin rearwardly therefrom, and a springy curvedportion forming the transition from said front panel to said foot portion and urging the latter against an edge of said back panel, said foot portion being provided with a groove to receive said edge of said back panel and to lock said back panel in clamping position relative to said front panel.

2. A holderfor display purposes comprising a sheet of resilient, wholly transparent material folded upon itself to form a front panel, a back panel and a foot portion, the entire area of said front and back panels being uninterrupted and available for display purposes, said front and back panels being joined along one edge by a resilient connection which maintains said panels spaced from one another at the point of connection and for a portion of their length, and urges the portions adjacent the edges opposite said connection into resilient engagement with one ancother so as to frictionally engage a sheet of display material therebetween, said foot portion being joined to one of said panels by a springy curved portion and angularly disposed with respect thereto to support said holder in an easellike manner.

3. A holder for display purposes comprising a sheet of resilient, wholly transparent material folded upon itself to form a front panel, a back panel and a foot portion, the entire area of said front and back panels being uninterrupted and available for display purposes, said front and back panels being joined along one edge by a resilient connection which maintains said panels spaced from one another at the point of connection and for a portion of their length, and urges the portions adjacent the edges opposite said connection into resilient engagement with one another so as to frictionally engage a sheet of display material therebetween, said foot portion being joined to the front panel by a springy curved portion and being angularly disposed with respect thereto to support said holder in an easel-like manner.

4. A holder for display purposes comprising a sheet of resilient, wholly transparent material folded upon itself to form a front panel, a back panel and a foot portion, the entire area of said front and back panels being uninterrupted and available for display purposes, said front and back panels being joined along one edge by a resilient connection which maintains said panels spaced from one another at the point of connection and for a portion of'their length, and urges the portions adjacent the edges opposite said connection into resilient engagement with one another so as to frictionally engage a sheet of display material therebetween, said foot portion being joined to the back panel by a springy curved portion and being angularly disposed with respect thereto to support said holder in an easel-like manner.

5. A holder for display purposes comprising a 7 sheet of resilient, wholly transparent material folded upon itself to form a front panel, a back panel and a foot portion, the entire area of said front and back panels being uninterrupted and available for display purposes, said front and back panels being joined along one edge by a resilient connection which maintains said panels spaced from one another at the point of connection and for a portion of their length, and urges the portions adjacent the edges opposite said connection into resilient engagement with one another so as to frictionally engage a sheet of display material therebetween, said foot portion being joined to one of said panels by a springy curved portion and angularly disposed with respect thereto to support said holder in an easel-like mannenthe side edges of said foot portion being cut away to allow support for the holder in an easel-like manner when resting on its side;

FRANK J. VARGISH. 

